Idol group BEAST's Yong Junhyung spoke honestly about his part in the group. He said, "My role is to be an inconspicuous part of the team." And just as he said, he never really took the spotlight in the group.

Yong Junhyung is known as a 'songwriting idol singer.' He himself produced BEAST's 2nd album Hard to Love, How to Love, as well as team member Yang Yoseob's solo mini album Caffeine. Behind the scenes, he was showing off his talents away from the spotlight.

But now he's definitely caught people's attention. On December 13th he released his mini album Flower, and debuted as a solo artist. The album includes a song by the same title, and contains a total of 5 songs. To borrow from Yong Junhyung's words, the album "is light without being showy." The album has a hip-hop base and a strong emotional vibe to it. It truly is a 'Yong Junhyun-esque' album.

"I couldn't write a song in 5 days... and started to wonder if I was untalented."

He switched off between doubt and compromise. Yong Junhyung had already written the title song "Flower" a whopping 6 months before he started preparing his solo album. Once he started the making of the music video, he was torn between the active exchanges of opinions from his surrounding acquaintances. That's because he wanted to be unique yet not excessively so.

"I never once took solo work lightly. Not too long ago I performed 'Flower' for the first time on stage. Before that I was in Japan. I was so anxious I decided to acquire a practice room to rehearse. It's so hard to put on a stage performance by yourself. Once I tried it, it was fun and rewarding, but I had to really try hard so that the other members' empty presence wasn't felt on stage. I was extremely nervous for my first performance, but you'll see me being more relaxed in upcoming performances."

Since he's majored in music, you might think that he's full of youthful ideas, but songwriting and producing is difficult even for Yong Junhyung. He said, "Whether the song comes to me easily or after a long time of contemplation, the song has to go through many drafts. There are no criteria for good songs, so I always seem to be bumping into difficulties."

"There were times when I would sit in the studio for 4, 5 days at a time, unable to write one song. I fell into a slump during that period and wondered to myself if perhaps I was untalented. When I think that way, the matter grows much bigger in my head. Every time my high school friend composer Kim Tae Joo brought me back, and so I was able to succeed. Tae Joo and I are basically one. When we were in school, we would exchange lyrics and spend our time doing that. When I debuted with BEAST, he was working on songs by himself. Once we started working together I never imagined we would go our separate ways. Even our tastes are similar, so there probably won't be a falling out between us."

'Piggy bank' Yong Junhyung... 'Even my mom probably doesn't know the amount'

An interesting question was asked. Yong Junhyung starred on MBS's "Radio Star," and revealed that his royalties income was so much that he "could not manage them." It was a hot topic. Could it be true? Yong Junhyung explained the situation.

"I'm embarrassed and ashamed. That part was exaggerated. To be honest there was a phrase that people my age have money they cannot touch. But it was edited out. Anyway after that when I would meet with older composers, I was really embarrassed. So I tried to explain myself first. Of course it is a big sum, but I was disappointed that it sounded like I was showing off."

Even so, he's using the royalties to help with his family's expenses and to use as his personal allowance. Whatever income he receives from BEAST activities, he deposits all of it into his savings. Since he is able to survive off the royalties, it must be a pretty hefty sum. Yong Junhyung said, "If I have money I'm most likely going to spend it. That's why I save most of it. Even my mother doesn't know how much I save, but if she knew, she'd be happy." He is one of the smarter youths.

With 5 years of experience under his belt, Yong Junhyung has acquired a thick skin. He's been through a lot of different things, and has matured just as much. If there are unresolved issues, he goes fishing with his composer friend Kim Tae Joo, or goes out to eat. If we consider the way he unwinds from daily stress, it fits the person that he is.

"Right now I don't have any worries. I can't believe it's already been 5 years. I have no thoughts of what should I do and how should I do it. I'm just going to continue doing things the way I have been. However, I am a realistic person. Just because I'm popular, and just because the response is good doesn't mean I can put my guard done. All of this can disappear in just a moment. I have a lot more fear than I let on. Even though it's not something I can control, I know that popularity won't last forever. There are many amazing artists. Instead of aspiring to survive among them, I think to myself, 'I should focus on doing my part well.' While I was doing music, I started producing, and found that it's not just about once song, but that it's a comprehensive work. If I make it mine, then it becomes mine."

Yong Junhyung also expressed a desire to be more active in his music and other projects. His first stop being "flower." "I don't want to be just another singer who gets by with different issues all the time. I want to be a singer that actually does music."